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Windows 11 is scheduled to ship on October 5, 2021 and it’ll bring a bunch of changes including a refreshed user interface, new window-snapping behavior and a brand new Start Menu. One feature that won’t be ready to go on day one? Support for running Android applications on Windows PCs.
Microsoft says it plans to begin rolling out a preview of the Windows Subsystem for Android to members of the Windows Insider program in the coming months, and it’s unclear when it’ll be ready for inclusion in the stable branch of Windows. But this week a Windows Subsystem for Android app arrived in the Microsoft Store, suggesting that those preview builds could be coming soon.
At this point installing the app doesn’t actually do anything. It seems to be a placeholder. But the Microsoft Store listing does give us some information about the minimum and recommended system specs:
- At least 8GB of RAM is required, but at least 16GB is recommended.
- x86-64 and ARM64 processors are both supported.
- You’ll need Windows 10 version 22000.0 or higher… or an Xbox One.
This is the first time we’ve seen evidence that the Windows Subsystem for Android would support Xbox game consoles. This could be interesting for a few reasons:
- You may be able to play Android games on Xbox consoles. While these don’t tend to have console-quality graphics, they’re hugely popular on mobile devices, and there may be some folks who’d like to be able to easily play the same titles on their TV as they do on their phone and tablet.
- It could open the door to using third-party game streaming applications like Steam Remote Play Together on an Xbox device (in addition to Xbox cloud gaming, which is available with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription).
- Android app support on an Xbox could let you use game console as a pseudo-desktop computer thanks to support for Android versions of applications like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, even if they’re a bit stripped down compared with their desktop counterparts.
That said, Microsoft hasn’t officially confirmed that Android app support is coming to Xbox consoles. The Microsoft Store listing says the Windows Subsystem for Android app is “for testing purposes only,” and even if the inclusion of Xbox One as one of the supported platforms is accurate, there’s no guarantee that Microsoft will ever graduate the feature from testing to stable for Xbox devices.
It’s also worth noting that, at least on Windows 11 PCs, Microsoft is planning to partner with Amazon to make the Amazon Appstore the official way to load Android applications on Windows devices. That means users looking for Android applications in the Microsoft Store will have access to less than half a million Android apps… which sounds like a lot until you realize that there are around 3.5 million Android apps in the Google Play Store.
Since the Windows Subsystem for Android does not include the Play Store or other Google services, many popular Android apps won’t be available in the Microsoft Store. But tech-savvy users will be able to sideload Android apps from third-party sources, and I suspect it won’t be long before people find out if it’s as easy to sideload the Play Store on Windows PCs (and Xbox One consoles) as it is on Amazon Fire tablets.


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Toyota Recalls Millions of Cars
Power window switches blamed
Toyota, the Japanese carmaker, has announced a massive recall to fix malfunctioning power window switches on models including the Yaris, Corolla sand Camry, saying it will pull back 7.4 million vehicles worldwide.
The company said the power window switches can be repaired in about 40 minutes.
The move on Wednesday comes as the country's biggest car manufacturer tries to rebuild trust after a series of recalls between 2009 and 2011 in which it pulled back about 10 million vehicles.

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The Ouya is a strange thing. I loved the idea of it but the execution? I’m personally a bit disappointed in how powerful the device is set to be, especially when you compare it to other Android devices, and apparently the build quality leaves a lot to be desired. But you cannot argue with the ability of the Ouya team to secure developers for the device. In the lead up to its launch in June, it has a fair team of developers behind it.
And now you can add SEGA to that list. As reported by Games Industry International, SEGA is bringing three Sonic titles to the Ouya — existing Sonic titles that have already been released on other platforms but still, pretty big news for the underdog Android device. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II and Sonic CD will all be available on June 27, all designed specifically for the Ouya device.
“For us, there were a couple of things that were exciting about Ouya,” explained David Zemke, SEGA of America’s director of mobile business. “One is obviously that it’s a great gaming platform on a new device. When you get the chance to hook it up to an HDTV and watch it on a big screen, it’s actually quite impressive. It’s disruptive technology, right? It’s fun to see what these technologies can do and be a part of it from the beginning. For those two reasons alone, we’ve looked at it as yet another reason to bring some great Sega content to a whole new audience.”
Each of the Sonic titles will cost $6.99, which is a big leap. The game costs $1.99 on iOS and $3.99 on Google Play.
Sega embracing “disruptive” Ouya with Sonic [Games Industry International]


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Transgenic sugar beets increase GMO concerns with yeast
Later this year, sugar from genetically modified sugar beets will be used in food products, such as cereals and candies, raising concerns among consumer groups who threaten to boycott products made by Kellogg’s and Hershey’s over the issue.
Less well known is the fact that the introduction of GM sugar beets also increases GMO concerns with conventional yeast, which is used in baking and wine and beer production. Yeast is grown on a molasses medium derived from sugar beets, corn syrup, or sugar cane. Two of those three raise GMO concerns since the majority of sugar beets and corn grown in the United States is genetically modified.
According to a yeast industry expert who preferred to remain anonymous, conventional yeast itself is not currently genetically modified nor produced using a GM microorganism.
However, Canada-based Functional Technologies Corporation has developed a GM yeast, ML01, for use in wine production. The product has received regulatory approval in the US and Canada.
The expert said there are five companies that produce conventional yeast, and one produces it using a molasses medium derived from corn syrup.
“Historically companies have used a combination of sugar beet and sugar cane derived molasses, but they prefer to use sugar beet molasses,” the expert said.
Organic evaluation may vary among certifiers
According to the National Organic Program rules, conventional yeast is a non-organic, non-synthetic substance allowed as an ingredient in organic products.
Miguel Guerrero, marketing director and review coordinator at Organic Materials Review Institute, says that evaluation of yeast in organic processing may vary among organic certifiers. Some would only look at the finished product to make sure it is not produced from a GM microorganism and that it does not contain synthetic substances. Others would also look at the media on which it was grown.
Oregon Tilth would do the latter, says Connie Karr, processing program manager. “We would also look at the media to make sure it is non-GMO,” she says.
Karr says that more organic processors are using organic yeast in their products to avoid trying to obtain non-GMO verification from yeast manufacturers. “The use of organic yeast is becoming more prevalent,” she says.
© Copyright The Organic & Non-GMO Report October 2008


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There’s exciting news in the plant-based world this week, with three companies eyeing expansion and booming investments. With established brands Plantible Foods Inc. and Allbirds, here’s all you need to know in the vegan business space.
Plant-based food-tech firm Plantible Foods Inc. secures staggering $21.5 million in series A funding round
San-Diego-based Plantible Foods Inc. has raised a staggering multi-million investment following a successful series A funding round.
This was led by Astanor Ventures and brings Plantible’s total investments to $27 million.
Since being founded in 2018, the company’s developed a vertical agriculture system to produce Rubi Protein, made from lemna, also known as duckweed. The perennial plant is dubbed to be one of the most protein ‘effective’ in the world.
CEO Tony Martens says the brand isn’t competing with other plant proteins: “Our goal is to remove chickens and cows from the food supply system.
“We are cultivating a new plant to change the broken food supply chain that was exposed during the pandemic. Currently available plant proteins don’t pull their weight when it comes to competing with animal-based products on taste and nutrition.
“By combining plant science, biochemistry, and engineering, we are able to create drop-in replacements for these widely used animal-derived proteins. Without forcing consumers to sacrifice on either taste or nutrition, paving the way for an accelerated transition towards a healthier planet.”
Allbirds takes sustainable shoe brand onto stock market
Footwear brand Allbirds has announced it will launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the New York City-based Nasdaq Stock Market.
It comes just months after the brand launched a $2 million investment. This is into the ‘world’s first’ 100 percent natural plant-based leather.
Moreover, the brand will reportedly choose banks and investors based on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)credentials.
According to Reuters, its revenue could hit $300 million in the coming year in line with its 27 percent growth rate.


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Amazon partners with Food Bank of Iowa to 'rescue' food
The Food Bank of Iowa is partnering with Amazon's new fulfillment center in Bondurant.
The food bank will rescue food that's unsellable but safe for humans to eat.
“I am pleased to work with Amazon to help fight food waste and feed Iowans,” said Michelle Book, president and CEO of Food Bank of Iowa. “It is wonderful to collaborate with another great community-minded partner.”
The first food rescue from Amazon happened last month. It amounted to 5,400 pounds, valued at more than $30,000.
“At Amazon, we leverage our scale for good and make investments to support communities,” said Brent Hagan, site leader at Amazon’s Bondurant fulfillment center. “We are proud to work with Food Bank of Iowa to get meals to doorsteps of people in need across the state.”
A food rescue happens when a retailer or distributor has damaged items or ones that are nearing their expiration.


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ACLU Says Wireless Carriers Fail to Protect Consumers' Data
Several large wireless carriers in the U.S., including AT&T , Verizon , Sprint and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA, are targets of a complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union with the Federal Trade Commission.
The ACLU claims the wireless carriers, specifically those selling smartphones using Google's Android OS, engaged in "unfair and deceptive business practices" by not alerting customers to "known, unpatched security flaws in the [Android] mobile devices sold by the companies," according to a statement the ACLU posted today.
The complaint acknowledges that Google issues Android OS "patches" to fix security issues with the operating system as they arise. However, according to the FTC filing, the fixes are not packaged and pushed out to consumers as they are with PCs, so many smartphone owners are unaware they have a security issue, leaving personal data at risk.
The complaint asks that wireless carriers be mandated by the FTC to alert smartphone users of data security updates, and make them readily available and easy to download. Or, at the least, provide customers with device refunds and allow them to terminate existing data plans so they can opt for a carrier that will provide security fixes.
The article ACLU Says Wireless Carriers Fail to Protect Consumers' Data originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Tim Brugger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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The Jack Ma Foundation on August 1 announced the names of the 50 finalists for the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize competition, 2022 edition.
With the aim of highlighting and supporting African entrepreneurs, the Jack Ma Foundation has organized the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize, 2022 edition.
The competition attracted more than 21,000 entries from 54 African countries. Applications from Central Africa have increased by 20%, or 9% of the total applications received. Southern Africa presented 17% of candidates, East Africa also 17% and West Africa 43%.
In addition, the number of applications from North Africa, which increased by 26% compared to the previous edition, represented 7% of the total. This year, the number of applications from 34 countries has increased by more than 50%. Egypt, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Burundi, for example, are showing tremendous growth in their participants, strengthening ABH’s position as a truly pan-African initiative.
Female entrepreneurs are well represented with 31% of applications. The age of the participants varies from 19 to 72, proof that there is no age limit to being an entrepreneur.
ABH, now in its 4th edition, has become a major philanthropic program in Africa. Most of the participants learned about the competition’s existence by word of mouth.
A panel of more than 60 judges will now interview the 50 finalists from a variety of industries – agriculture, energy, healthcare, retail and manufacturing. Ten percent of them are French-speaking, 42% are women and 60% are active in rural areas.
For the first time, this Top 50 includes candidates from Burkina Faso, Somalia, Guinea and Burundi.
“We are delighted to see that this year every country and region in Africa is represented in the competition and that the participants are more diverse than ever,” said Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Partnerships and Programs, Africa’s Business Heroes. According to her, more than 21,000 entrepreneurs from all sectors, genders and ages participated in the competition and it is very encouraging! “.
“The 50 ABH 2022 finalists are a testament to the enormous potential and talent that exists in Africa. We look forward to showcasing them and giving them the support they need to grow and make a positive impact on their businesses and communities,” she added.
The 50 ABH 2022 finalists recently attended a virtual training seminar for the next round of interviews.
The seminar featured sessions led by partners and members of the jury. Topics included using data to better understand markets, identifying growth opportunities, delivering effective digital marketing campaigns and selling in the digital age.
The top 20 will be announced at the end of August. Finally, the Top 10 will be announced in October, before the grand finale, where each of these top ten will present their project live to international celebrities from the business world to win their share of the USD 1.5 million prize.
This year, the competition’s official slogan is “It’s African Time”, a bold call to action for all African entrepreneurial talents who challenge the stereotypes associated with “The African time” by making an impact and building a better and more inclusive future through their activities.
See the list of the 50 finalists for ABH 2022 at https://bit.ly/3PS0iqp.
About Africa’s business heroes
The Africa’s Business Heroes competition is the leading philanthropic initiative led by the Jack Ma Foundation. This competition aims to support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs from all business sectors who are building a more sustainable and inclusive economy across the continent.
For ten years, ABH will reward 100 African entrepreneurs and is committed to providing grants, training programs and support for the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Each year, the ABH competition selects 10 finalists who have the opportunity to showcase their business and win a share of the $1.5 million USD prize. Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group and the Jack Ma Foundation, created the competition after his first visit to Africa in 2017, where he was inspired by the energy and entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met.
www.24haubenin.bj; information in real time
2 August 2022 by


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Call the fashion police!
Tom Ford presented his Autumn/Winter 2015 womenswear collection at Milk Studios in Los Angeles on Feb. 20, but unfortunately there was more drama going on behind the scenes than on the designer's runway. A-listers including Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Adams, and Reese Witherspoon packed into the pre-Oscar event, but one seat in particular was still empty by the time the venue's house lights went dim — Beyonce's!
"Beyonce had a huge wardrobe malfunction at the show," a source told Us Weekly. "Her dress ripped all the way up the back and she had to run backstage to find something else to wear."
The usual run of a fashion show is less than five minutes, so the "7/11" singer, 33, missed all the action and a prime photo op in Ford's new duds. "The people back there couldn't get it fixed in time, so she had to miss the show," the source revealed. "Beyonce was so embarrassed, [but] she was really cool about it."
Mrs. Carter changed into a long black crystal mosaic dress from the Spring 2014 collection, per a release sent out by the brand the next day, Feb. 21.
Afterwards, the Carters were photographed together — Jay Z in a black suit and Beyonce in her plan-B look. "Her dress ripped on the way there and she snuck backstage and was given that black dress to change into," the source said. "She was the latest person to the show and only caught the last few minutes of it."
Beyonce had a less dramatic night in her long white Marni dress during the Vanity Fair Oscar 2015 afterparty on Sunday, Feb. 22. Queen Bey danced the night away with her younger sister Solange and Jennifer Lopez.
A Tom Ford spokesperson had no comment.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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Floating lanterns, Thai avenue meals and conventional performances await guests at Puchong mall
WHEN requested on his ideas concerning the Loy Krathong pageant being held in Puchong, Keyu Chee Kong remarked that it was as if “one of the best of Thai avenue meals” had been dropped at his doorstep.
“It seems like being on the streets of Bangkok,” mentioned the Bandar Puchong Jaya resident.
For the Loy Krathong celebration at IOI Mall Puchong, all of the meals on sale are ready by Thai nationals.
Open every day till Nov 27, the occasion is held from midday to 11pm and options 24 stalls promoting quite a lot of Thai avenue meals.
To set the temper, there’s Thai pop music enjoying within the background.
Magnificence pageants and cooking competitions will probably be held all through the occasion.
The annual celebration includes the discharge of krathong (floating lanterns) in a big pool to symbolise the elimination of dangerous luck and negativity.
The occasion has the help of Tourism Malaysia and the worldwide commerce promotion division (DITP) which is a division underneath the Thailand commerce ministry.
It’s organised by EQ Options with IOI Mall Puchong as one of many fundamental sponsors.
Current to launch the occasion was Senior Colonel Nikom Tonginkaew from the Royal Thai Embassy.
In his speech, he mentioned he was not shocked by the encouraging turnout of holiday makers on the occasion since Malaysia and Thailand had all the time maintained good relations.
“The inflow of Malaysian vacationers to Thailand has exceeded a million guests since mid-October,” he famous.
The 2 nations additionally take pleasure in an lively buying and selling partnership, mentioned DITP business counsellor Chaiyut Boonkong.
“Malaysia is one in all Thailand’s high 10 buying and selling companions.
“Within the final two years, commerce between the 2 nations totalled US$24bil (RM110bil).
“As much as 70% of commerce is on the Thai border involving industrial merchandise, electrical and electronics, oil in addition to agricultural merchandise like rice and rubber,” mentioned Chaiyut.
Additionally a part of Col. Nikom’s entourage was Brigadier-Common Naing Oo, the defence attache with the Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
Col. Nikom, Chaiyut and Brig-Gen Naing, who introduced their households to the occasion, have been taken on a tour of the occasion space by IOI Mall Puchong assistant common supervisor Richard Lye.
The friends took half in a swish dance across the pool, led by conventional Thai dancers, earlier than releasing the krathong into the water.
EQ Options managing director Chuah Jo Vin mentioned judging from customer response to the occasion, it was clear that the shut ties with the Thai Embassy was one purpose for the occasion’s success.
“We want to organise extra culturally themed occasions with different South-East Asian nations,” he mentioned.


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Christmas Calendar Comes Early At Mr Green Casino.
While a quick scroll through your preferred social media feed will likely uncover hundreds of people carping and moaning about Christmas decorations going up in November, one thing you won’t find is anyone complaining that Mr Green Casino have decided to launch their festive Christmas Calendar promotion early.
Yes it may still be the middle of November, but as of Thursday 17th the popular mobile casino will be kicking-off a whopping 53 days of festive fun courtesy of its €350,000 Christmas Calendar, where cash prizes, gadgets, free spins and even holidays will all be given away.
Using an advent calendar-style format, Mr Green Casino players will have the opportunity to open a new door on each day of the promotion to reveal a unique special offer; with this in turn encouraging them to visit the site at least once every 24 hours so as not to miss out on their treat.
While the presents behind each door are currently a mystery – that’s kind of the point of an advent calendar – what we do know for sure is that the €350,000 Christmas Calendar promotion will feature across all Mr Green verticals, meaning players will be able to join in the fun regardless of whether they’re normally a video slots veteran, live casino legend or sports betting superstar on the site.
With such a lot going on from now until January 8, players can expect to hear plenty of further announcements from Mr Green Casino over the coming weeks, but in the meantime they can already enter the winter wonderland and take advantage of this fantastic festive casino promotion.
What’s more, over the course of each of the €350,000 Christmas Calendar’s 53 days, all winners will be announced in one convenient location on the site, meaning you can simply log-in, check to see if you’ve earned a reward in the previous 24 hours and then crack on with entering a new daily offer.
Remember, if you’re not already a Mr Green Casino customer, you can still take advantage of the site’s great welcome package – an offer that includes a 100% welcome bonus up to £100 and plenty of free spins across selected slots. Additionally, the site have announced that there will be a further sign-up bonus added in time for Christmas, but players will have to wait a bit to unwrap that one!


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Mar Mikhael, one of the neighborhoods most devastated during the Beirut Port explosion, has been the center of various humanitarian initiatives and fundraisers since August 4th.
One of those will take place this week; an online auction of a variety of artwork titled “Art Li Beirut” that will raise funds for the initiative “Revive Mar Mikhael.”
The auction will feature 70 pieces of art by more than 50 Lebanese and foreign artists on the online bidding platform Artscoops.
Featured artists include Raouf Rifai (Lebanese), Anas Homsi (Syrian), Ghazi Baker (Lebanese), Helen Zughaib (Lebanese-American), Sandra Detourbet (French), Claire Wiltsher (British), Ahmed Farid (Egyptian), and numerous others.
Revive Mar Mikhael is a nonprofit initiative that was launched by a group of entrepreneurs in Lebanon and abroad. It has been helping affected families and micro-businesses since the port explosion through emotional and financial support.
Its mission focuses on “reviving souls and spreading hope,” as well as rebuilding homes in blast-stricken Beirut, particularly Mar Mikhael, which is home to thousands of people who were significantly affected by the tragic explosion.
Their charitable activities have included helping clean and rebuild destroyed apartments, covering the expenses of medication for elderly citizens, and directly giving out donations to the owners of small businesses affected by the blast.
“Mar Mikhael symbolizes the heart of Beirut, the place where memories are built. This beautiful area is in itself an artistic piece of Lebanon: it has preserved the heritage of Beirut as well as the social tissue,” Joanne Habchi, Marketing Manager for Revive Mar Mikhael and Art Li Beirut, told The961.
Habchi said that the team of Revive Mar Mikhail has been overwhelmed with joy by the positive feedback and support from the artists and galleries willing to participate in the upcoming auction.
“People recognize the need on the ground, and they are very eager to help in any way possible. The key challenge now is to get the word out and maximize the funds in order to make the most impactful initiatives on the ground,” she added.
The arts are already displayed online at Art Li Beirut, which auction will run from Tuesday, October 27th, 12 PM Beirut time, until November 5th.
This is an exciting opportunity for art lovers to acquire beautiful artwork while supporting the efforts to revive this important area of Beirut and its heritage and lifestyle.


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Re: ~~Official AFL 2012 Discussion Thread ~~ ft. GWS
Nice touch Kiz!
FOOTBALL fans will be able to watch every match of the 2012 AFL season for $50 on their mobile phone or tablet device.
Telstra released its AFL pricing plans on Monday as part of its $153 million, five-year rights agreement with the League.
Fans preferring not to spend $50 for what is called the AFL Live Season Pass can spend $10 for a monthly pass or purchase individual game passes at $5 each.
Once the purchase is made, customers will be able to watch the matches on any mobile or tablet device.
Telstra made access to the 2012 video passes available through the mobile AFL website, m.afl.com.au, from Monday afternoon.
Telstra has been a rights-holder of the AFL for the last 10 years, but has purchased the rights to significantly more content from this year through to 2016, including the right to stream live games.
The announcement comes three days after the League appealed a Federal Court ruling that allowed Optus mobile customers to record live AFL games and watch them through its TV Now product.
The TV Now service only works with free-to-air TV. All NAB Cup matches except for the Grand Final are exclusive to Foxtel.
Telstra will next month unveil its AFL Live app, free from Android's Market or Apple's App Store. The app will contain live scores, live match radio broadcasts, video match highlights, team lists, player profiles, match reports, previews and news.
Unlike previous years, this app will be free, while the content will be unmetered for all Telstra NextG and 4G customers.
Telstra also announced an AFL on T-Box product that gives access to the BigPond AFL TV channel, which includes full video highlights and game replays.
AFL on Foxtel on T-Box, which goes live later this week, will give subscribers every AFL match live as well as 16 other channels for $49.50 per month.
And in a bid to lure people to watch AFL content on Foxtel, a $1164 yearly package (plus a $150 equipment fee) will give access to all sports channels including the new Fox Footy channel as well as an AFL Live pass on compatible Telstra NextG or 4G phones.


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Redemption is ahead for Microsoft
Sputtering out of the gates for the first time since the original Xbox, Microsoft is playing catch up to their competition in Sony. But leading not E3, Microsoft is in the perfect position to begin narrowing the gap between themselves and their competition in the Playstation 4 and Wii-U.
There isn’t much to be said here, but Microsoft will be forced to clear things up and prove the way for the rest of 2014 to be a positive fiscal year . Exclusives? More of those are needed (Hi Halo). Entertainment? Propped as “more than a game system”, work needs to be done there. Relying on those two should prepare us for an excellent show.
Here are a few things we expect from Microsoft’s E3 preview along with some predictions that make lots of sense and some that are pipe dreams.
Addressing the Kinect-less Xbox
Stiff competition forces companies to make decisions that likely would never make until coerced to do otherwise. As you all know, Microsoft has announced a Kinect-less Xbox One for the price of $399, putting themselves in better position to compete with the Playstation 4. Since the initial announcement, Microsoft has been big on harping about all of the features that set the Kinect apart from it’s next generation competition in the PS4 and Wii-U: video-chatting, switching from game to television, video-game features, etc., but by introducing a system without it, they’ll have to find ways to sell this in a similar manner outside of the “hey this is $100 less than before” line.
The Godfather of Microsoft
Worst-case scenario: Microsoft fails to blow away their consumers with a so-so showing during E3. They’d still finish with a hypothetical 75 on the 100 scale when they delve into the upcoming Halo projects that are planned within the next year, the biggest being Halo 5: Guardians which is expected to drop in 2015. Since the initial announcement of the sequel to Microsoft’s biggest exclusive, 343 Industries has remained mum on all things pertaining to Guardians, and rightfully so as E3 was right around the corner.
Along with more in-depth news on Halo 5, Microsoft could be set to reveal pricing and a date for the Halo Master Collection announced that features Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 4 as well as a bigger look into Halo television series which is produced by Steven Spielberg.
Entertainment, of course
Prior to the release of the Xbox One, Microsoft executives praised the system as “more than a game console”, playing into the hands of millions that use their game systems for far more than actual gaming. On June 4th, Microsoft announced 46+ apps would be coming to the Xbox One and here’s the perfect time to show the world exactly how Microsoft plans to implement some of their latest additions. Of those 46 apps, Twitter, Vine, HBO Go appear to be the marquee applications.
- Prediction: During the process of ‘unveiling’ the Kinect-less Xbox One, Microsoft will reveal a cheaper Kinect for users to purchase.
- Xbox exclusive Sunset Overdrive has caught the eyes of many as the creators of “Ratchet and Clank” are introducing a new open-world, shooter game. Expect this to be have information revealed on the matter.
- Another exclusive announcement in Fable 4 (or Legends).
- Earlier this year, January to be exact, Microsoft Studios purchased the rights to Gears of War and announced that the game is in development. Fast forward six months later and we could be welcomed to a much-needed sequel for the GoW franchise.
- Prediction that probably won’t come true, but hope it’s true: Microsoft releases a system which allows users to purchase games from the 360 and original Xbox on the Xbox One. Pipe dream? I know, but this would be excellent especially since the One isn’t backwards compatible.
All-in-all, Microsoft is in position to win over those who hang in the balance in regards to choosing which next generation to adopt. And even those who’ve already made the decision, they need more convincing going forward. E3 has usually been an event where Microsoft razzles and dazzles, so if this falls in line with the past, Microsoft will be in good position for the remainder of 2014.


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(The uncertain situation for last few years is making already fragile Kashmir economy to bleed without any redressal in sight!)
The founder of the Ziraat Times, Arjimand Hussain Talib in a recent post on the Facebook while highlighting the problems faced by the trade in Kashmir has observed, “Kashmir’s economy is dying silently, with far-reaching long term negative impacts.It is high time regional political parties, business groups and civil society initiate a coordinated and effective action. Strikes will only inflict self-harm. A collective response has to be politically sophisticated and result oriented too”. But the moot point is why is Kashmir economy dying? Because it has been slowly made to bleed to death! The bleeding started immediately after Kashmir’s first Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was unceremoniously removed and imprisoned in 1953 to enable Kashmir’s total merger and integration. The subsidy culture of fifties introduced by Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad was the first wound given to the local self-sufficient economy at least in food related items.
There are no two opinions that the agriculture has always been the real backbone of Kashmiris economy for centuries. Even at present the 80% of the population consists of cultivators. Unfortunately, over the years instead of progressing this sector has been rather dwindling and we are at a juncture when we depend on imports for most of our agriculture based products!While on one hand most of the agricultural products and the people engaged in producing these have been declining over a period of time, on the other the only thing which has grown geometrically are the government employees! A sizeable chunk of the State budget goes into the salaries of these employees. Unfortunately, over a period of time we have depleted slowly the dignity of manual labour and created a mind-set of white collar jobs among our youth. According to some estimates almost a million youth are educated but unemployed. Most are waiting for the white-collar government jobs even at the lowest level. This is the greatest disservice that has been done to our society by our rulers for last 70 years or so! This mentality has to change.
The other unproductive expenditure specially incurred by NRIs (Non-resident Kashmiris) is the construction boom in bungalows and villas. Over past few years a hundred thousand posh houses worth thousands of crores must have been constructed by our Non-resident fellow Kashmiris spread all over the world in the entire valley with Srinagar topping the list. This is totally dead investment. Those people hardly use these villas and houses. May be they use these at the most for a month or so when they visit Kashmir if it is peaceful. Almost eleven months in a year these are occupied by watchmen looking after these! The same money could have been invested in various local enterprises especially in agriculture based industries.
Tourism has been wrongly propagated as the backbone of the economy even though it forms not more than 7% of the GDP! Yes, if things were peaceful and Kashmir had year round direct international air access, Kashmir would have become another Switzerland. Again the massive investment in this sector has become dead investment due to uncertain and disturbed situation which does not appear to improve in the near future. Moreover, because of total dependence on imports regarding various inputs in the sector, Tourism does not have a multiplier effect in Kashmir. It is estimated that the multiplier effect in Indian conditions is about 3.5 which means a single rupee invested in Tourism is equivalent to 3.5 rupees invested in other sectors. But this does not hold in Kashmir as most of the inputs in this sector are imported from outside the state which makes tourism earnings to have a quick exit providing only seasonal jobs to the locals.
Another sheepish mentality is construction of shopping complexes everywhere. Instead of investing money in making goods which could be locally used and could lessen imports of these, people have virtually gone crazy in making shopping complexes to sell goods from all over the world. Totally consumer based economy without any attempt to produce these goods especially in the food chain locally.
Above everything else, the local economy faces another serious handicap and that is the most undependable highway which incidentally is the only exit for the valley, the main historical one through Jhelum Valley Road having been blocked since 1947. If the state economy is to stabilise and grow, two things are most essential. First is the return to agriculture based economy for which the Ziraat Times has taken an initiative and the other is a dependable access to the valley from the outside world.The State Governments of all the political parties are least interested in creating an independent economy. They have mostly been busy in improving their own and their family’s economic well-being at the cost of the common people. If the economy is to survive and progress then a private and enterprising initiative taken by Ziraat Times has to be encouraged and multiplied manifold. The civil society has to wake up and take an initiative in this regard. Let us hope and pray this happens soon. In the alternative, Kashmir’s economy is destined to bleed to death!
Mohammad Ashraf, I.A.S. (Retired), Former Director General Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir
Courtesy: Counter Current


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Consumers can revoke consent.-- Previously customers had to consent to receive telephone calls and texts. Once they've consented, marketers would make consumers jump through hoops, such as sending letter and filling out forms, to revoke their consent. The new rules would allow consumers to revoke consent just by saying so during a telemarketing call.
Telephone companies can block robocalls.-- Under certain laws, telephone companies are required to connect phone calls. So, they were hesitant to employ robocall-blocking technology. The new regulations now encourage companies to offer robocall-blocking technology to customers.
Telemarketers cannot repeatedly call wrong numbers.-- With more and more people getting rid of landline service in favor of cellular phones, many of the old landline numbers are getting recycled and given to new customers. So, telemarketers are calling numbers whose previous owners gave consent, but the new owner did not. The new regulation would allow telemarketers to get away with the first call, but once they know that the number now belongs to someone else, they can't make any subsequent calls without permission.
These rules are only proposals as of now, and will be voted on at a meeting on June 18.


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Nantucket’s Brant Point Marine Sold
December 10, 2020
Nantucket’s Brant Point Marine has been sold to local boatbuilder Mike Allen of Tidal Creeks Boatworks, according to the Nantucket Inquirer & Mirror.
Allen aims to maintain the same location near the Town Pier, and expand the number of offerings at the store, which has been in business for 25 years.
Former owners Rick and Melanie Kotolac are apparently headed to Costa Rica to pursue new opportunities.


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Land Rover has recently confirmed in a report that over three discovery models could be arriving. The company confirmed the forthcoming family of Discovery models that was previewed at the New York Motor Show by the Discovery concept will be spawning over three models than was originally anticipated. Richard Woolley, who is the Design Studio Director of Land Rover said in a report that the Discovery model overtime will be evolving into a family of vehicles, not necessarily a three car family either, he went on to say that he could confirm that there could be more.
The future for the Land Rover Discovery and potential rivals ?
When asked the question is Land Rover considering a model in the range that would sit underneath the Evoque, he said that it is something that he believes the company should look at, there is a trend at the moment for downsizing in the market, though whatever sector the company went into they would have to be the best with regards to capability off road.
The small SUV has been billed potentially as a more premium option to the Nissan Juke and if the company was to give it the green light it would be entering a market that is dominated by the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1 at the moment.
Can the Land Rover Discovery models prove to be successful ?
Richard Woolley explained that the challenge for the company is to keep such vehicles relevant as the current trend could be a fad and then they would now longer reply. He explained that fashions come and go and Land Rover must make sure that whatever it does it isn’t just following fashions, he finished by saying that Land Rover vehicles must mean something and they must be relevant. So is the future of Land Rover secure when it comes to it’s newer models making an impact and will the Discovery carry on making an impact on both the new and used car markets for Land Rover .


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When it comes to entrepreneurship, the sisterhood is strong among Filipino women.
That’s one of the findings of the Herbalife Nutrition Global Entrepreneurship Survey 2020, which show that women in the Philippines will start a business in order to: offer opportunities for career advancement of women (60 percent), give women more positive female role models (57 percent) and follow their passion (55 percent).
The survey also reveals that almost 70 percent of Filipino women aspire to run their own enterprises, and believe they will be able to do so if they had these three key factors: sufficient financial knowledge (73 percent), a business mentor (70 percent) and a supportive family (66 percent).
What also motivates them the most to run their own businesses—or, for existing entrepreneurs, to open another one—is to provide for family (67 percent), follow their passion (53 percent) and be their own boss (51 percent).
The Philippines’ survey results closely resemble the study’s general findings on Southeast Asian women, which also show that their top reasons for opening a business is the need to support their family (56 percent) and the desire to become their own boss (54 percent).
Conducted by OnePoll in March and April this year, the Herbalife Nutrition Global Entrepreneurship Survey 2020 polled 9,000 women, including 2,000 respondents from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, on their attitudes toward entrepreneurship.
The region stands out for the fact that 81 percent of respondents from these four countries said that they aspired to be entrepreneurs—higher than the global average of 72 percent. This aspiration, the study further reveals, is more apparent among women ages 18 to 39, or the Gen Zs and millennials.
“With more women in the region having a desire to start their own business compared to the global average, we see opportunities for countries to actively encourage women entrepreneurship,” said Stephen Conchie, senior vice president and managing director for Asia Pacific of Herbalife Nutrition.
Despite the strong desire among Southeast Asian women to be entrepreneurs (among Filipinos alone, 68 percent said they wanted to open their own businesses), only three in five women (59 percent) in the region have taken actual steps to start their own venture, shows the study. Key barriers that prevent them from doing so include the initial cost to open a business (58 percent) and the lack of financing and market knowledge support (46 percent).
And as with Filipinos, a vast majority of Southeast Asian women said that what drove them toward entrepreneurship was their desire to become a role model for younger women (84 percent).
So what do women want when it comes to setting up their own business?
The study reveals that Southeast Asian women highlighted the following as the “key building blocks” for their entrepreneurship journey:
• Sufficient business and financial knowledge (73 percent)
• Sufficient savings or financial stability (71 percent)
• A supportive family (64 percent)
• The ability to operate a home-based business (64 percent)
• A mentor to guide them in their entrepreneurship journey (61 percent)
• The ability to work on their business part-time until they are ready to go full-time (51 percent)
Conchie also makes note of the importance of collaboration between private and public sector.
“Bringing together public and private sectors to provide the opportunities, resources, education and training to support women entrepreneurs will empower them to break out of social and cultural norms and lay the foundation for more inclusive economic growth,” Conchie says.
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OnePlus is currently working on its next-gen flagship smartphone to be called OnePlus 7. We’re already aware of the fact that OnePlus 7 is going to arrive in two variants – regular OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. Both the smartphones will see its official unveiling in India on May 14.
A couple of hours ago, OnePlus officially confirmed the existence of triple camera setup at the back on the pro variant.
OnePlus 7 Pro confirmed to have three cameras at the back
OnePlus recently posted a 10-second video clip on its official Twitter account revealing the official launch date of the device. In addition, the video talks about the key outline of the OnePlus 7 smartphone which according to the video happens to be the addition of triple rear cameras.
The video includes the tag #OnePlus7Pro which clearly indicated the presence of three rear cameras on OnePlus 7 Pro. This tweet also indicated towards the fact that the regular variant of OnePlus 7 might still feature the dual camera setup just like its predecessor.
OnePlus 7 Expected Specifications, Features
The upcoming OnePlus 7 is rumored to feature a massive 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and an added protection of Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The device might run on the Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 855 chipset coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal memory.
In terms of optics, OnePlus 7 will boast a dual 48MP+5MP camera setup at the back. The 48MP primary sensor might use the pixel binning technology. The phone will retain night mode and an ability to record 4K videos at 60fps.
All of this would run on a 3700mAh battery with 20W fast charging and the latest Android 9.0 Pie operating system.
OnePlus 7 Pro Expected Specifications, Features
The OnePlus 7, on the other hand, will come with some of the interesting set of features. The device will come with a much bigger 6.7-inch super AMOLED display having QHD+ resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The pro variant will feature the same processor and same storage configurations as the regular variant.
In terms of optics, the phone will have three rear cameras having 48MP + 16MP + 8MP sensors. At the front, there will be a 16MP selfie snapper.


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Scottish tech4good businesses go head-to-head for £60k prize at Startup Summit
Three Scottish tech for good entrepreneurs have been selected for the Startup Summit Competition final. The entrants will pitch for a top prize worth over £60,000 in front of 1,000 attendees at this year's online Startup Summit.
Judges from FutureX and Johnston Carmichael selected Dr Tayyaba Nafees (CyberShell Solutions), Phil Worms (Frog Systems) and Caroline McKenna (Social Good Connect) to progress from the semi-finals which took place virtually on September 30th. They represent applicants from across the country and industries spanning cybersecurity, mental health, and philanthropy.
CyberShell is a digital platform that provides solutions to ensure security for the software industry.
Frog Systems is a is a digital mental health and wellbeing company utilising video to communicate messages of hope and signpost support to those in need.
Social Good Connect is a digital search and match platform connecting employers and their employees to volunteering opportunities which positively impact the community.
The overall winner of the Startup Summit Competition will receive a fully funded place on FutureX's Silicon Valley Scale programme and a business support package worth over £60,000. This package includes business support from Johnston Carmichael, STV, FutureX, Purpose HR, and AAI EmployAbility.
The Silicon Valley Scale programme takes a select group of rising UK tech leaders to Silicon Valley. There, they have the opportunity to connect with leading global players in the tech industry and pitch to potential investors. Previous cohorts have met with executives from Airbnb, Facebook, SurveyMonkey, RocketSpace, Y Combinator, Waze, and Threshold.
Kirsty Irvine, semi-final judge and Senior Business Development Manager at Johnston Carmichael said: "From gaming to cyber security to mental health and more; we heard pitches from a diverse range of businesses in the semi-final, all, who regardless of stage, would have benefited from a place on FutureX’s Silicon Valley Scale programme.
However the three we’ve chosen to go through to the final gave real evidence of their ability to achieve growth in the coming year so would best maximise the opportunities from the programme."
Bruce Walker, semi-final judge and Co-founder of FutureX, said: "The SUS20 Competition Final is going to be one to watch. From over a hundred applications, we have selected three very exciting technology companies who are using business as a force for good. The prize fund will be used to accelerate their impact and wrap support around promising startups - the judges are going to have a tough decision to make!"
The competition final will be hosted live on Day 2 of Startup Summit 2020 on October 29th. For more information, you can visit here.


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Plenty has added new people to its Technical Leadership Team. The team is helping to lead all technical aspects of Plenty’s new Compton facility.
Additions to the team include Jessica McKinley as vice president of product management, Matt McMahon as senior director of technical program management and Roberto Medina as senior director of manufacturing engineering.
Nate Storey, co-founder and CSO at Plenty said: “We are delighted to welcome these key members of our technical leadership team and to tap into their extensive experience. As we expand our farm operations and work to bring new farms online, Jessica, Matt and Roberto will be critical in ensuring strong collaboration and success between our engineering, construction and plant science teams.”
“Plenty is getting ready to open our Compton indoor vertical farm, the likes of which has never been done or seen before,” said Jessica McKinley. “We are proud to be in Compton with its deep agricultural roots, and I look forward to working with the company as we bring their vision to improve access to healthy, nutritious food around the world into reality.”
In her role as VP of product management, McKinley oversees the Technical Product Management (TPM) and Farm Architecture teams at Plenty. She brings over 14 years of experience to the team, most recently serving as VP of product at Zymergen for the personal care portfolio. Prior to that, she served as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and senior scientist and product development director at Solidus Biosciences.
Matt McMahon will lead the deployment of Plenty’s farms, overseeing all elements of site planning, design and construction. A global expert of 30 years in end-to-end large-scale planning, design and construction, McMahon previously managed the Global Plan of Record (gPOR) at Google, responsible for the planning, design and construction of the company’s fleet-wide data center buildings.
Roberto Medina will oversee the design and management of production lines within Plenty farms, ensuring Plenty’s engineering systems and standards are manufactured to the highest level of quality and efficiency. Medina brings extensive expertise in supply chain and manufacturing operations management, working with consumer packaging and global food and beverage companies such as Heinz Glas, Anheuser-Busch and Coors.
For more information:


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While Apple's keen to make sure nobody ever uses the iPhone's slide-to-unlock system, Google seemingly couldn't care less. It's filed a patent listing a whole heap of news ways to unlock your phone — including voice commands.
In an interview with the Guardian, Nokia designer Marko Ahtisaari suggested that he wants future Lumia phones to involve zero moving parts. We're not just talking no buttons, either: he means scrapping the power and data cable for good.
There are laws, PSAs, and nagging family members out there trying to keep us from using our phones while driving. Scosche's cellCONTROL is a clever device that'll actually block the use of distracting apps and the phone whenever a car is moti
LG have been showing off a Revolution that runs a virtual Android machine. So what? So, that means you can run a work phone as a virtual device on your personal phone — and junk your crappy second handset.


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A large global shipmanager has refreshed its brand, in the process jettisoning one of the oldest names in the sector.
Twenty-six months after Hong Kong managers Anglo-Eastern and Univan merged to create the Anglo-Eastern Univan Group, the company this week debuted a new corporate look. While the group name continues, the rebrand now uses just the Anglo-Eastern name. The new logo features the letters A and E in a propeller motif, and the only mention of Univan on the new-look Anglo-Eastern website comes under the legal page.
However, the group’s CEO, Bjorn Hojgaard, told Splash that the Univan name could reemerge at a later date. Anglo-Eastern will be the brand for shipmanagement, while the Univan name could be used for other services in the future.
Univan was founded by the late Capt Charles Vanderperre, the self-styled father of shipmanagement. Vanderperre, after a stint with Wallem Shipmanagement in the early 1970s, founded Univan in 1973.
When he died at the age of 87 in 2009, his wife decided to continue to run the Univan brand, installing well-known Hong Kong shipping personality Richard Hext at the helm who then poached shipmanagement veteran Hojgaard from Singapore’s Thome to take the CEO role.
Anglo-Eastern, founded in 1974 and led by Peter Cremers, last updated its brand following the merger with Denholm Ship Management in 2001. The group now has more than 600 ships under full technical management.


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Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 and 765G chips launched: Integrated 5G and premium mobile features for high-end phones
The highlight of the platform is the integrated X52 5G modem that offers peak download speeds of 3.7 Gbps.
The Snapdragon 865 is the chip that we’ll see in every Android phone that matters in 2020.
The new Nokia phone will also feature a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a circular camera module at the back.
AI processing also gets a boost with Qualcomm claiming a 2x improvement in performance over last year's flagship 855.
Intel was Qualcomm's chief rival in modem chips and sold the components to Apple for the iPhone.
More than 325 companies or other entities pay to be members, including US and European chip suppliers such as Qualcomm Inc and NXP Semiconductors
Qualcomm expects smartphone makers to ship 450 million 5G handsets in 2021 as adoption rate picks up
Qualcomm stands to benefit from faster 5G adoption as the phones will require more chips to gain the speed boost.
The rumoured Adreno 650 GPU could offer a 20 percent boost in performance over the Adreno 640.
Qualcomm CFO says that another set of flagship devices will adopt 5G in the next year.
Qualcomm's revenue in the Q4 fell about 17 percent to $4.81 billion, but beat analysts' estimates of $4.70 billion.
After its acquisition of Intel's 5G modem business, Apple will develop its own 5G modems by 2022.
The early release for the Qualcomm chipset is most likely due to increasing competition from Huawei.
The government wants global giants like Apple and Samsung to have a robust presence in India.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to meet electronics industry CEOs to discuss sector issues, export ambitions
The government will meet CEOs and top brass of electronics and smartphone makers, including Apple and Samsung, on 16 September to discuss challenges being faced by them and incentives and schemes that can be offered to position India as the 'electronics factory' of the world
The Asus ROG Phone II is powered by a Snapdragon 855 Plus with up to 12 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage
The mid-range Snapdragon chips from Qualcomm will support the full range of 5G technologies
Huawei claims that the Kirin 990 5G is currently the most powerful processor on the market
Nokia, Acer, Huawei, Lenovo and more lineup to showcase signature products at IFA. Here's all you need to know
Qualcomm’s solution to Always Connected PCs could be good competition for Intel’s mid-range segment
The earlier ruling would have required Qualcomm to renegotiate all of its existing chip and patent deals


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German chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer was featured among the top ten brands in the United States, according to the latest “BrandPower Ranking,” in which Bayer garnered fifth place. Only PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Hershey and Harley-Davidson came in ahead of Bayer. Among pharmaceutical and chemical companies, Bayer was ranked first.
Brand consultancy CoreBrand included more than 500 companies in its annual survey of brand respect, the 100 best-known brands being ranked according to their “favorability.” The best-known and most popular of these are then named the “most respected corporate brands.”
For over 20 years, New York-based CoreBrand has been examining brand awareness levels enjoyed by some 1,000 companies in 54 sectors around the world, with about 10,000 managers at U.S. companies being polled by telephone each year. Apart from familiarity and popularity, other important appraisal criteria are general reputation and a company’s investment capability.
Date: August 28, 2013


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Here's some good news for people in the DVD industry (Your DVD Editor included):
Business Wire reports that a recent multimedia study by Cahners In-Stat Group has found that DVD player prices will drop to $150 next year, which will contribute to the doubling (doubling!) of DVD player shipments.
That means that half as many people will be giving us DVD-heads blank stares when we start raving about our favorite discs as do now (which is a lot).
However, the same report states that DVD-ROM drive sales are not doing as well. It seems that people buying from OEMs, when given the choice, prefer CD-R drives to DVD drives.
The other, and less sunny news in the report is that the high prices, format wars, and copy protection issues will keep DVD-Video recorders out of the mainstream for several years.
-- Alex Castle


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You are here
United Supermarkets’ Snyder, Texas location is undergoing a remodel that will give the store a fresh new look along with new services – and it will launch the new logo for the United banner when it’s completed in July.
New product offerings are based on shopper feedback and include a salad bar, hot grill in the deli and an expanded dollar section.
“The addition of the grill means we will be able to provide our guests with hot sandwiches for the first time,” said Chris James, regional VP of United Supermarkets, LLC. “Our salad bars are extremely popular in other locations, so we anticipate that will be a big hit with our Snyder guests as well.”
The remodeled store will also feature a new décor package featuring vivid colors that are “active and engaging,” and all new graphics and signage throughout the store, according to Monica Schierbaum, senior director of marketing for United. Snyder will be the first store to receive the new décor – as well as the new United logo.
The most noticeable change to the new logo is the addition of a single star at the center, emblematic of the Lone Star State. “We are a Texas company, and we’ve always been inspired by the spirit, independence and self-sufficiency of Texans,” Schierbaum said. “We’ve got small towns in our heart, and we want our stores to reflect the warmth and generosity you find in a small Texas town.”
Texas references will be evident throughout the Snyder store following completion of the remodeling effort, which also will include the addition of a mural in the entrance featuring images of the Snyder community.
The most striking feature, she added, will be a stylized tree, which will be suspended over the produce department. “The tree will be the store landmark – a gathering place for our guests,” Schierbaum added.
Lubbock, Texas-based United Supermarkets operates 56 stores under four distinct formats: United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos and United Express.


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First Lawsuit of Its Kind Accuses Big Tech of Profiting From Child Labor in Cobalt Mines
Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dell, and Tesla are being sued over their alleged reliance on cobalt mined by children.
Alaska initiative to protect wild salmon could kill off a massive open-pit mine
Proposition 1 would protect rivers the salmon need to spawn but the oil, gas, and mining industries say it would make new projects a "deal killer."
Steam Pulled an Indie Game Accused of Being an Elaborate Cryptocurrency Mining Scam
Steam game 'Abstractism' was pulled from the marketplace after users complained that it was hijacking their computers to mine cryptocurrency, and that the game developers were scamming players with in-game assets.
The City That Banned Bitcoin Mining
Plattsburgh, NY voted to place an 18-month moratorium on new commercial cryptocurrency mines in the city on Thursday. Here's why, and what comes next for cities that have had a Bitcoin gold rush.


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US banking giant Wachovia announced the first phase of its mobile banking system for its customers. Wachovia Mobile, the company’s first step with mobile banking, is available now on handheld devices running Windows Mobile 5 with Pocket Internet Explorer.
The new service lets Wachovia customers view account balances, check account activity, and transfer funds using their mobile phones. Wachovia has indicated that they will soon make Wachovia Mobile available on other handheld devices running other operating systems.
Photo by Raven3k.
Can we solve the #1 Business problem people have today? Yes -- and the answer is simple...
The coffee vending business is your opportunity to cash in on the 30 billion dollar coffee industry.
Own your city's local deals website and app with multiple revenue streams.
Thin Energy is looking for a limited number of motivated business minded people...
With 2,000 locations open or in development in 15 countries, Snap Fitness is the top choice
HUMAN stands for "Helping Unite Mankind And Nutrition" and we started the Healthy Vending Industry back in 2003


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Fisdom is at the forefront of India’s growing FinTech industry, and is breaking down barriers in a market where many consumers remain underserved. The affordability and physical accessibility of services is a challenge, but so is financial literacy. Consumers feel unequipped to invest and so leave their funds in basic savings accounts, leaving their investment goals unrealised.
The Bangalore-based startup aims to solve these challenges with an application that offers jargon-free investment advise at zero cost to the consumer. The business intelligence gained from Salesforce is powering its growth and vision to make investment advisory available to everyone.
“We want to help more people, make smart financial decisions – regardless of their net worth or financial knowledge,” said Sai Charan Teja, Head of Analytics at Fisdom. “We’ve built a model that makes it easy to invest and with Salesforce, we’re maximising opportunities to grow.”
Smart use of data lowers cost of conversion
The Fisdom app makes it easier and more accessible for everyday consumers to invest in complex products like mutual funds.
Charan Teja said the use of Sales Cloud helps Fisdom build trust and remove the fear that consumers may have in using the app to invest in this way. “We can have more personal conversations and build better relationships based on data. This includes data on individual leads and customers, but also analytics on the needs and behavior of customers at each stage of the lifecycle.”
In the past, this data was held in spreadsheets and siloed across different systems and teams. It made it difficult for the startup to take action or measure the success of sales and marketing. It also hindered its ability to scale.
“We needed a way to connect all our data and make smarter decisions about how we acquire new customers and keep them engaged. Our technology partner, ET Marlabs, did a phenomenal job in implementing Salesforce with this end-goal in mind,” said CharanTeja.
“Fisdom has ambitious plans to grow and needed a platform and a partner that could keep up with their changing needs,” said Sreekanth Keshava, Chief Operating Officer, and Head of Delivery, ET Marlabs. “The Salesforce platform provided the robustness and flexibility Fisdom required, while ET Marlabs’ philosophy of delivering to the pace of the business and always going the extra mile helped us manage the project’s extraordinary timelines.”
Fisdom now has a business intelligence dashboard powered by Sales Cloud which helps it to understand where customers are coming from and how they invest. It knows which partners and marketing channels generate the most Return on Investment (ROI).
These insights are fueling fast and efficient growth. Agents are 20 percent more productive, making an additional 20 calls each per day and processing 64 percent more applications. The FinTech is investing in sales and marketing initiatives with a proven impact. As a result, lead conversion is up, while the cost of acquisition is down by almost 50 percent.
Scaling success to change the way consumers invest
Fisdom is on its way to achieving its vision, and plans to enhance its product portfolio to give more people even more options to invest – whether their goal is to save for their next vacation, cover future education costs, or build wealth for their retirement. Sales Cloud will help Fisdom target the right customers with the right products at the right time, enabling it to support customers through every stage of their investment life.
For Fisdom, it’s not just about increasing the use of its application but changing the way that consumers invest. It’s a bold vision for a small team of 20, made more attainable with Salesforce.
(Views expressed in this article are a personal opinion of the company Fisdom.)


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Following a previous reveak in the UploadVR Summer Showcase, Odders Lab confirms Gazzlers arrives next month on Quest 2, PSVR 2, Pico and PC VR.
When we last discussed Gazzlers in December 2021 it was announced as a cooperative on-rails shooter from Odders Lab. Planned for PC VR in early access with a full release coming the year after, that's alongside a launch for Quest, Pico 4 and PlayStation platforms. A new trailer for Gazzlers premiered during June's UploadVR Summer Showcase and though the footage looks pretty familiar, the game has made a few pivots since we last covered it.
However, fast forward a year and a half and some changes have been made. According to the official site, Gazzlers is now a single-player experience – not co-operative multiplayer. The site also confirms that the game is "nearing the end of development." Speaking to UploadVR directly, Odders Lab issued this statement:
When we started working on GAZZLERS, we indeed considered implementing co-op into our game. We soon felt however that our focus should be on the enemies, weapons, and the roguelite design, and at the end of the day it was simply a matter of choosing the right direction for a team of our size and resources.
Our leaderboards will still be a part of the game, so there's still a social aspect to it. We love multiplayer games and we definitely want to make some in the future, but for our first game we decided to shift the focus to other parts of the game design we deemed more important to the title.
The Steam page now describes the game as an "on-rails arcade shooter that features a roguelite-inspired encounter system" that will see you "complete challenges, collect scrap, upgrade your skills, and take on the Pilgrimage once more, discovering new lands, enemies, and weapons!"
Note: This article, originally published on June 14, was edited on August 31 to reflect the release date announcement.


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While plenty of iPhone cases will let users charge their iPhone via a plug, one new case announced will look to help keep the device charged through solar power. The cases, which are being created by Ascent Solar Technologies, have already proved profitable as the company saw a big rise in their stocks, Bloomberg reported.
The company, based in Colorado, saw their stocks raise 48 percent to 86 cents, according to the news source. This is the biggest rise they have seen since August 2011. The rise came after the company announced the solar case, which will consist of a battery paired with copper-indium-gallium-selenide, or CIGS, thin-film solar cells.
"This is what Ascent has been trying to do for several years – leverage its technology in the consumer market," Adam Krop, an analyst with Ardour Capital Partners, said according to the Denver Post.
According to the Post, the company has been losing money since it started to develop new technologies and had to cut its budget, but the growth in the smartphone market and the invention of the solar power case can be a great thing for the company. Those looking at iPhone 4 cases should check these cases out.


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Nissan India has revealed the inside on the Magnite Concept subcompact SUV which will reach the showrooms early next year. The concept images of the cabin look promising with variety of elements that stand out.
The dashboard looks clutter-free with a 3D honeycomb structure finish, while the trapezoidal air vents do look different. The official images also reveal a dual-tone black and red theme across the cabin while also highlighting the space.
The automaker said that the inside reflects the “lifestyle of the customer with its strong presence inside out.” It must be seen what percentage of those premium bits will make it to the production-spec version of the Nissan Magnite.
Speaking on the inside of the concept, Rakesh Srivastava, director , Nissan Motor India, said, “The Nissan Magnite concept is an evolutionary leap in Nissan’s SUV history. Not only the outside but also the interiors exude premium-ness, sophistication and roominess.
The second image also provides an honest check out the legroom and headroom within the cabin that’s liberated by the upright stance of the Magnite. Nissan promises generous space with the massive glasshouse area further adding a way to the roominess.
The Nissan Magnite will continue sale in India by early 2021, as against the previous timeline of this year’s festive season, thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. The model is predicted to draw power from the 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol and 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines.


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On 16th, Consumer Reports, an American consumer magazine rated LG Signature TV W 89 scores in the TV quality category. It was an all-time high, overtaking LG OLED TV(OLED65C7P) that ranked number 1 with 88 scores in the ‘4K TV(Best 4K TVs to Buy Right Now)’ category in April.
LG Signature TV W features not only the thinnest display(4mm including a wall-mounted TV stand) by applying OLED panel and specially-designed finishing materials, but also the greatest immersion by eliminating unnecessary factors. Due to that reason, LG Signature TV W won ‘Best of the Best’ and ‘Best TV Product’ awards at CES 2017 and was once acclaimed as ‘a beautiful TV like a work of art’ from Engadget.
Meanwhile, LG Ultra OLED TV and Sony OLED TV came in second. Among the 11 TV models from top 1 to 10 selected from Consumer Reports, 10 out of 11 were OLED panel-based TVs, whereas a LCD-based TV was only Sony’s BRAVIA.
OLED TV is receiving lots of attention of consumers due to its great picture. In last March, Director Yoon Soo-young of LG Display said at the 3rd OLED Korea Conference hosted by UBI Research that “OLED TV on display has been moved from the corner to the center of the Best Buy LG store”, and OLED TV is becoming the mainstream of the premium TV market. Accordingly, many second movers are joining the trend of OLED TV and have released OLED TVs or announced a plan to release.
Toshiba launched 55 and 65-inch OLED TV Regza last march, and German luxury AV brand Loewe lunched its new flagship Bild 9 series, 55 and 65-inch 4K OLED TV on May 1, beginning to release OLED TVs in the premium TV market in earnest.
In addition, Sony, which attracted big attention for its OLED TV unveiled for the first time at CES 2017, officially announced on May 8th that they will firstly sell 55 and 65-inch sizes of 4K BRAVIA OLED TV A1E series. Panasonic also announced on May 14th that they will firstly sell EZ900, 950, and 1000 among 4K OLED TV in Japan from June.
Meanwhile, Choong Hoon Yi, president of UBI Research(senior analyst) analyzed at the Topic seminar in April that Sony’s OLED TV is expected to sell about 400,000 in 2017. Accordingly, he expected Sony’s OLED TV will have about 27% market share in the OLED TV market and about 38% in 2021.


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TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh showed shoppers at the Trafford Centre just what kind of workout is required to look as enviably slim as she does.
And that included rather a lot of hula-hooping!
Lucy took a public exercise class in the shopping mall, lunging, planking and squatting with some vigour, as well as plenty of impressive moves with that hula hoop, in her lycra sports outfit.
Earlier she’d showed the results of her intensive fitness regime when she headed to Superdrug in the centre in a lace bra top and floral skirt which flashed those toned abs.
Lucy, who found fame on reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex, was launching her health supplement Meck Tone at Superdrug, before taking shoppers through her fitness workout, Results WIth Lucy, on the main stage at The Orient.
The brunette beauty began her new health and fitness regime after the high profile split with fellow TOWIE star Mario Falcone last year. But she learned to love exercise so much she’s used it to launch her new business ventures to help others get in trim too.


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Chinese tech giant Alibaba has launched a company called Lingyang Intelligent Service Company that aims to provide “data-as-a-service”.
Lingyang begins life with assets customized from tools built for Alibaba’s own extensive operations that span e-commerce, a public cloud, logistics, web portals, payments, and more.
The Chinese company has over 1.3 billion active customers annually – more than a billion in China. Serving all of these customers – and their many transactions – required the development of some pretty nifty tools.
Now these tools have been produced for sale by Lingyang.
At a launch event, Alibaba executives discussed Lingyang’s prospects as a provider of enterprise data services to Chinese companies.
Executives also tried to position Lingyang as a “data-as-a-service” company, not just another SaaS provider.
The new company’s offering includes a cloud analytics service, a marketing cloud, a production and sales cloud, a customer service cloud, and a business development cloud.
That combination makes Lingyang a potential competitor to Salesforce, Oracle, SAP, and maybe even Microsoft’s Dynamics outfit. Many BI and analytics vendors also seem to have a new player to worry about.
Lingyang was reportedly capitalized at a modest 50 million yen ($7.5 million) and staffed by employees from Alibaba’s entities that contributed code and expertise to the spin-off.
Investors have been worrying lately whether Alibaba’s best days are over, as the combination of a saturated home market, Beijing’s restrictions on its web giants, fierce local competition, and cooling foreign buyers has plagued the company and seen its growth slow.
The mere launch of a major new business in enterprise software suggests the company has a trick or two up its sleeve and has found a niche that Beijing may not object to.
But as if to punctuate yesterday’s launch, two of Alibaba’s competitors — e-tailer JD.com and Tencent — announced another collaboration today. Tencent will continue to ensure that JD’s content features prominently on its hugely popular social media services. That means Tencent avoids being labeled a monopolist — a practice Beijing abhors — and reaches a wider audience for JD. ®
https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/30/alibaba_lingyang/ Alibaba launches data-as-a-service company • The Register


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Red Dead Redemption is apparently being remastered on PC, GTA 6 has fallen into development hell after leadership changes, and AGDQ 2022 will happen online between 09 - 16 Jan 2022.
AGDQ (Awesome Games Done Quick) is an annual speedrunning event that has gained significant popularity over the years. AGDQ 2022 is scheduled to take place from January 9 to 16, and as always, its primary goal is to raise money for charity. The event brings together a community of passionate speedrunners who showcase their skills by completing video games as quickly as possible.
Due to the ongoing health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, AGDQ 2022 will be conducted online to prioritize the safety and well-being of the staff and participants. In a tweet, the organizers stated, "After much deliberation, it's been decided that AGDQ 2022 will be online only for the health and safety of staff and participants. The event will take place from January 9 to 16. Runner and volunteer submissions opened on September 24 and closed on October 3."
AGDQ has become synonymous with charitable giving, with the event raising millions of dollars for various organizations like Doctors Without Borders. The funds are used to support important causes and make a positive impact on communities around the world. It's truly inspiring to see the gaming community come together for such a meaningful purpose.
One highlight of AGDQ 2022 is the extensive schedule of speedruns. With over 200 games planned for the event, there will be a wide range of genres and titles for viewers to enjoy. Whether you're a fan of retro classics or modern favorites, there is bound to be something that catches your interest. To find the complete schedule, you can visit the official website at gamesdonequick.com.
As someone who has followed AGDQ for several years, I can personally attest to the excitement and entertainment it offers. Watching skilled speedrunners navigate through games with precision and break records is truly a sight to behold. Additionally, AGDQ provides a platform for streamers to connect with their audience and create memorable experiences. I've had the pleasure of meeting some of my favorite streamers through this event, leading to lasting friendships and shared gaming experiences.
If you've never experienced AGDQ before, I highly recommend checking it out. The event is not only a showcase of impressive gaming abilities but also a testament to the kindness and generosity of the gaming community. The camaraderie and passion on display are truly inspiring, and it's heartwarming to see the impact that AGDQ has on those in need.
In other gaming news, there have been rumors circulating about a possible remaster of the first Red Dead Redemption game. Released back in 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Red Dead Redemption was highly acclaimed for its gripping story and immersive open-world gameplay. With the recent success of its sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, which received a PC release and numerous updates, fans have been eagerly anticipating news of a remastered version of the original game.
Rockstar Games, the developer behind the Red Dead series, has shown interest in remastering their older titles, as evidenced by the upcoming release of the GTA Trilogy Remastered. Given the company's commitment to enhancing and re-releasing their iconic games, it wouldn't be far-fetched to imagine a remaster of Red Dead Redemption in the future.
As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the first Red Dead Redemption, I can vouch for its excellence. The combination of a captivating narrative, memorable characters, and a vast open world made it a truly unforgettable gaming experience. If a remastered version were to see the light of day, it would undoubtedly give fans a chance to relive the adventures of the iconic protagonist, John Marston, with updated visuals and potentially improved gameplay mechanics.
Of course, until an official announcement is made, we can only speculate about the possibility of a Red Dead Redemption remaster. However, the demand for such a release is undeniable. Fans have been eagerly awaiting any news related to the Red Dead franchise, and a remastered version of the original game could serve as a bridge between the beloved first installment and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Lastly, let's discuss the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). It seems like fans have been waiting forever for the next installment in the iconic GTA series, and recent reports suggest that the game is currently trapped in what is commonly known as "development hell."
One of the reasons for the prolonged development cycle of GTA 6 is the departure of Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games. Houser played a crucial role in shaping the narratives and world-building of previous GTA titles, and his absence has reportedly led to the game being restarted multiple times. The lack of solid information regarding the current state of GTA 6 has frustrated fans, who have been eagerly awaiting news about the game for a long time.
Rockstar Games, known for its meticulous attention to detail and commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences, is likely taking its time with GTA 6 to ensure that it lives up to the high expectations set by its predecessors. The company's reluctance to release any information about the game could be attributed to the fact that they do not feel confident in showcasing a product that is still undergoing significant development changes.
While the delays and lack of information surrounding GTA 6 may be frustrating for fans, it's important to remember that creating a game of such magnitude takes time. Rockstar Games has a reputation for delivering groundbreaking titles, and they likely want to ensure that GTA 6 lives up to the franchise's legacy.
In the meantime, the continuous re-release of GTA 5, which originally debuted in 2013, has only heightened fans' impatience for the next installment. However, it's essential to realize that the development of a game as ambitious as GTA 6 requires significant resources, time, and creative vision. Let's hope that Rockstar Games will share more details about the game in the near future, giving fans a glimpse into what promises to be an incredible gaming experience.
For a visual summary of today's gaming news, complete with engaging gameplay footage, check out our YouTube video below. It's a quick and entertaining way to catch up on the highlights!
I hope you enjoyed this comprehensive dive into the latest gaming news. As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, it's always thrilling to be at the forefront, sharing these updates with fellow enthusiasts like you.
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As reports of slowing sales continue to raise questions surrounding Samsung’s Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone, a new claim suggests Samsung will soon begin mass-producing its next major smartphone, the Galaxy Note III. A new report from ETNews, which had previously detailed troubling news regarding component orders for Samsung’s Galaxy S4, claims that the Galaxy Note III phablet will enter mass production in August ahead of a launch this fall. The South Korean news site quoted an unnamed Samsung executive as saying the company will begin “placing orders for follow-up models, such as Galaxy Note III, from August.” Component orders for the Note III and other upcoming models are expected to offset some of the hit suppliers will take as a result of decreased Galaxy S4 part orders.
According to earlier reports, Samsung’s Galaxy Note III is expected to feature a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, a 6-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, a 13-megapixel camera, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and improved S Pen support. A new report on Monday from Twitter user @evleaks, who often posts accurate information about unannounced mobile devices, claims that the Note III’s display will actually measure 5.7 inches diagonally, rather than 6 inches.


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Marvel Was Working On An Iron Man Open World Game
It turns out that an open-world Iron Man game was once in development and now we know who to blame for the cancelation.
Ever since the 2008’s Iron Man made a boom on the cinematic scene and introduced a series of movies that all tied into the fantastic 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Marvel’s properties have seen a resurgence in the world of gaming. Despite Marvel’s Avengers having a bad start, other properties, like Marvel’s Spider-Man, signal the expansion of the company’s presence in the gaming sphere. Still, for every game that gets published, one gets canceled.
Recent rumors suggest that a single-player Iron Man game is currently in early development stages at EA. However, according to IGN, Avalanche Studios — responsible for the Just Cause gaming series — was apparently working on an Iron Man game for several years before Disney bought Marvel and pulled the plug on the project. By all accounts, the title was supposed to be an open-world game in which you could take off and fly anywhere and even punch enemies through walls using Iron Man’s repulsor gloves.
Before we dive into why exactly we never saw the Avalanche Studio’s Iron Man game, let’s discuss what type of game we could expect. From what we’ve seen in Just Cause, a gaming amalgamation of action, explosives, and chaos set in an open-world environment, it’s pretty safe to assume that we could expect the same from the canceled game if it ever saw the light of day. Instead, we got Marvel’s Avengers, which features an entire roster of Marvel’s characters without an open-world setting. Still a disappointment, despite the game featuring massive maps.
Besides Marvel’s Avengers, which features Iron Man, the gaming community got two very poorly designed and executed Iron Man and Iron Man 2 gaming adaptations which were nothing else but entirely forgettable. So why was the game canceled? Well, apparently, Disney’s the culprit since the company wanted Avalanche to staff up significantly mid-development to shorten the development time for the project, which would have had very adverse effects on the studio’s employees.
Disney effectively shortened Avalanche’s development time for the Iron Man game but increased their funding, directing the studio leaders to hire additional 70-80 people, which would imply massive reassignments among the existing development teams. But that wasn’t the biggest issue. Disney shortened the development period so much that Avalanche couldn’t meet the deadlines even with the aforementioned 80 additional employees.
Of course, Avalanche refused to comply with Disney’s demands due to limiting factors that the proposed development time would impose, so the cancellation was actually the best possible approach. Considering the vast number of established AAA titles and IPs that have gone downhill in the last couple of years, it’s safe to assume that the gaming community wouldn’t receive a half-baked Iron Man game very well. Releasing such a game would put the developer in the gamers’ crosshairs, which is the closest to an unredeemable position one could ever get in.
Marvel’s games are in a very different place right now, and not thanks to Disney — a company known for its mishaps in the gaming industry. Marvel’s Spider-Man is, for better or worse (it’s for the better), the property of a company that has been in the gaming business for the better part of the last three decades — Sony. Under Sony’s publishing, Insomniac managed to make incredibly successful Spider-Man titles, which reportedly also had a multiplayer in development.


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GfK’s results for the first half of 2016 were below the previous year’s figures for the same reporting period. In the first quarter of 2016, the group achieved organic growth of 0.9 percent, while sales in the first half of 2016 were down 1.5 percent. At 8.2 percent, the margin for the second quarter of the year almost matched that of the first quarter, but was not at the level of the same quarter in the previous year (9.5 percent). Adjusted operating income was down by € 12.3 million to € 58.9 million on the same period in the previous year. Strong organic growth in the Consumer Choices business was offset by a downward sales trend in the Consumer Experiences sector.
Matthias Hartmann, CEO of GfK: “The second quarter of this year was disappointing. We had to set up provisions as a result of delays with growth initiatives in the Consumer Choices sector. Our focus now is on resolving start-up problems with these projects and increasing the external order intake in the Consumer Experiences sector. The additional cost-cutting measures and adjustments to resources implemented will contribute positively in the second half of the year. On the positive side, we had a strong cash flow.”
Sales at the Group amounted to € 721.7 million in the first six months of 2016. In total, this represents a 3.4 percent decrease in GfK Group sales. Currency effects of -2.4 percentage points accounted for a significant share of the decrease.
Adjusted operating income was down by € 12.3 million compared with the previous year to € 58.9 million.
The margin was 8.2 percent, as against 9.5 percent in the first half of 2015.
The Consumer Experiences sector reported a sales decrease of 7.8 percent in organic terms for the first half of the year, following a weak order intake for traditional ad hoc research which fell short of expectations. The resulting reduction in adjusted operating income could not be offset in full by the resource and cost-savings measures already implemented. On the operations side, GfK is working towards a further increase in efficiency. The relocation of operations activities to the Global Service Centers is progressing well. In the first half of this year, the level of order intake and sales in ad hoc business were considerably down on the same period in the previous year. Expectations for the future were also revised downwards. The resultant review of the goodwill reported for the Consumer Experiences sector required an impairment of € 139 million. Goodwill for the Consumer Choices sector was not affected by this impairment.
The Consumer Choices sector continued to grow in organic terms. However, delays in television audience measurement contracts and other growth initiatives as well as the results of the now sold Animal and Crop Health business significantly impacted the sector’s margin. The Point of Sales Measurement business showed solid growth. GfK continues to expand it with new product categories, industries, value added services and online reporting options. In Media Measurement, start-up problems with new contracts have affected results, above all the TV audience research contract in Brazil. Necessary adjustments and provisions have been taken. With the publication of data since July 1, 2016 and CENP (Standard Norms Executive Council) accreditation, significant progress has been made in Brazil. Contracts have since been signed with two new clients, another TV station and an advertising agency. Negotiations with further TV stations and advertising agencies are ongoing. At the same time, GfK’s Crossmedia Link product is being launched in more countries, becoming a digital main pillar.
The regions Latin America and Central Eastern Europe/META reported robust organic growth rates. However, similar to the previous quarter, substantial negative currency effects also occurred. At the same time, a downward trend was evident in the mature markets of Northern Europe, Southern and Western Europe as well as North America.
GfK adjusted its outlook on August 5, 2016 in view of the challenges mentioned and the figures reported for the first half of the year. Depending on the development of the order intake in the Consumer Experiences sector and the progress of the growth initiatives in Consumer Choices sector, sales growth below the market and a lower margin than last year cannot be ruled out for 2016 as a whole.
The detailed report on the first six months of the year is available to download from the Investor Relations website.
Note to the editors:
On the evening of August 11, 2016, GfK has published an adhoc announcement as well as a related press release titled “Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Supervisory Board leave GfK”. See the press release here.
Provisional key date in the 2016 financial calendar
14 November 2016: Nine-month report as at 30 September 2016
Provisional key dates in the 2017 financial calendar
31 January 2017: Trading Statement
14 March 2017: Accounts press conference
15 May 2017: Quarterly report as at 31 March 2017
18 May 2017: Annual General Meeting
14 August 2017: Half-year report as at 30 June 2017
13 November 2017: Nine-month report as at 30 September 2017
GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices.
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